Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 20, 1931. v w. F. SWEZEY 1,789,913

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 6, 1929 INVENTOR M X 12m j ezy.

Y I Q ATTORNEY -Patented Jan. "20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI WILLIAM F. SWEZEY, O SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA- BEFRIGERATING armma'rus Application filed February 8, 1929. Serial N'o.v 387,876.

A further object is to provide a refrigera-' tor cabinet having a fixed permanent lining and a. removable insulating wall adjacent said lining, which wall carries a unitary refrigerating apparatus adapted tobe inserted in and removed from the cabinet, while the lining is left in its originalfixed position; 1

Other objects and advantages of the in-.

vention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying "drawings, wherein:

Fi ure 1 is a perspective view joffa me chamcally cooled refrigerator cabinet embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the cabinet with the refrigerating unit removed,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a refrigerating unit and wall structure'adapted to be applied to the cabinet shown in Fig. 2. and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sealing strip to be applied to the cabinet after the unit has been inserted therein.

Broadly, my invention comprises having the top insulating wall of the cabinet horizontally removable. This wall carries the heat dissipating unit, which generally comrises a motor-driven compressor. and a conenser, while the heat absorbing unit, or evaporator. is suspended from the wall and is adapted to be inserted inside the refrigerator cabinet. The suspending means coinprises at least one L-shaped pipe having one arm substantially vertical to the wall and fastened to the under side thereof. while the other arm is spaced from, and extends parallel to the wall. The evaporator isrigid ly fastened to this second arm.

The upper portion of the box lining is provided with a slot or recess at its front edge to receive the vertical arm of the L-shaped pipe when the wall and assembled unit are applied to the cabinet. A sealin strip is then fastened to the cabinet to hold the unit in place and to give the box a finished appearance.

In the specific embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, 10 designates a refrigerator cabinet provided with a storage compartment 11 adapted to be closed by a door 12. The storage com-. partmentis provided interiorly thereof with an intergral welded one-piece lining 13.

The top insulating wall 14 of the cabinet may be detached from the remainder of the cabinet, and 'is 'ada ted to slide in parallel guideways 15, which 'Esi'de-walls 16 of the cabinet.

The. top wall 14 also serves as a base for a areformed above the unitary refrigerating apparatus comprising a motor-compressor unit 17, a condenser 18,

and a fan 19 for cooling the condenser. The evaporator 20 is suspended beneath the base the L-sha'ped pipes for fastening the pipes to the base. The evaporator is fastened to the long arms of the pipes by means of straps 24. Openings may be provided inthe evaporator for receiving ice trays 46.

An expansion valve 25 and a thermostat 26 are carried by the evaporator. ,A conduit 27 carries condensed refrigerant from the condenser to the expansion valve and evaporator,

While a conduit 28 carries expanded refrigerant from the evaporator to the compressor.

by means of two L-shaped ipes 21 and 22. Flanges 23 are providedon t e short arms of which is adjacent the removable wall 14, is provided at its front edge with two spaced slots 33 and 34 adapted to receive the vertical arms of the L-shaped pipes 21 and 22, respectively when the wall and assembled unit carried thereby are in operative position on the cabinet. The exposed edge of the lining may be faced with a gasket 35 of rubber or other suitable material. This gasket serves to seal the space between the slots and pipes and also to prevent chattering between these parts when the compressor is operating.

A removable strip 36 (Fig. 4) extends across the top front edge of the cabinet and rests inthe slot'provided between the outer edge 37 of the guideways 15 and the flange 38 provided on each of the 'metal binding strips 39 which extend along the vertical edges of the cabinet. The sealing strip is firmly secured in place by means of bolts 40 which extend into openings 41 provided in the outer end of the guideways 15. This strip may carry, at its lower edge, a sealing gasket 42 A gasket 43, preferably of sponge rubber, may also be provided on the under side of the removable wall 14 to sealthe space bet-ween the wall and the adjacent lining portion,-and also to prevent chattering between these parts during the operation of the compressor.

A removable cover 44 may be provided for enclosing the compressing and condensing fiechanism carried above the removable wall In applying the refrigerating unit to the cabinet, the wall 14, carrying the operatively assembled apparatus, is slid along the guideways 15 until the short arms of pipes 21 and 22 are received in the slots 33 and 34, respectively. The sealing stri 36 is next inserted in the space provide therefor and bolted to the ends of guideways 15. The cover 44 is then placed over the exposed mechanism. When the unit is in place, the evaporator is located within, the cabinet to be cooled, and below the cabinet lining, while the heat-dissipating unit is located outside the cabinet, above the insulated wall and the adjacent lining portion. At the same time, the unit is operatively interconnected and may be removed from the box without disturbing the box lining.

It will be apparent that I have provided a unitary and operatively connected refrigerating apparatus which may be applied to and removed from a refrigerator cabinet without breaking any of the connections between the heat absorbing and heat-dissipating units, and which, in being inserted or removed, leaves the cabinet lining intact, so

that it is unnecessary to carry any portion of the lining through the assembly line, as has heretofore been necessary in the production of unit machines. 1

While I have illustrated and described a the latter wall, and means permitting the removal of the insulatiiig wall carryin the interconnected apparatus from the cabinet, while leaving the lining in its fixed position.

2. In a refrigerating paratus, an insulated cabinet, a fixed an'd immovable lining interiorly of the walls of the cabinet, a horizontally removable topwall for said cabinet, a heat dissipatingunit carried by the wall above the lining and a heat absorbing unit suspended from the wall below the lining and within the cabinet, operative interconnections between said units, and means permitting the removal of the wall and interconnected units from the cabinet while leaving the lining in its fixed position.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, an insulated cabinet, a fixed and immovable lining interiorly of the walls of the cabinet, a horizontally removable top wall for said cabinet, 21 heat dissipating unit carried by the wall above the lining, and a heat absorbing unit suspended from the wall below the lining and within the cabinet, operative interconnections between said units, and meanspermitting the removal of the wall and interconnected units horizontally from the cabinet while leaving the lining in its fixed position.

4. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet having insulated walls, and a fixed permanent lining interiorly'of said walls, a top wall removable from the cabinet, a heat dlssipating unit mounted on the top wall outside the cabinet, a heat absorbing unit within the cabinet, operative connections between said units, means for suspending said heat absorbing unit from the top wall, said means comprising a tubular member, said lining adjacent the top wall being recessed for receiving said member.

5. A unitary refrigerating apparatus comprising a base, a heat dissipatlng unit mounted within the scope of the appended its the removable wall, sealing means between said top wall and the adjacent lining portion, a motor, compressor, and condenser unit mounted on said wall, an evaporator unit suspended t'roln said wall interiorly of the cabinet. and beneath said adjacent lining port-ion, operative connections between said units, sealing means carried by the front edge of said lining portion, a removable strip adjacent the second-named sealing means, and means for fastening said strip to the cabinet. 1

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of January,

WILLIAM F. SWEZEY. 

